Tractography based on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) models the structural connectivity of the human brain. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) targeting the subthalamic nucleus is an effective treatment for advanced Parkinson's disease, but may induce adverse effects. This study investigated the relationship between structural connectivity patterns of DBS electrodes and stimulation-induced side effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Rechargeable neurostimulators for deep brain stimulation have been available since 2008, promising longer battery life and fewer replacement surgeries compared to non-rechargeable systems. Long-term data on how recharging affects movement disorder patients are sparse. This is the first multicenter, patient-focused, industry-independent study on rechargeable neurostimulators.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Subthalamic deep brain stimulation may alleviate bradykinesia in Parkinson patients. Research suggests that this stimulation effect may be mediated by brain networks like the corticocerebellar loop. This study investigated the connectivity between stimulation sites and cortical and subcortical structures to identify connections for effective stimulation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDeep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease has become an established treatment option in recent years. The method and its application in clinical practice has proved to be safe and effective. Nevertheless, procedure-related and hardware-related complications occur.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Surgical treatment of meningiomas next to venous sinuses is difficult because of their irregular growth patterns and infiltration into the venous sinuses, making gross total resection impossible in some patients. We evaluated the postoperative clinical and neurologic course of this tumor subgroup.
Methods: This study included 141 consecutive patients with meningioma located within 20 mm of a major venous sinus.
Some patients under thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) for essential tremor (ET) experience habituation of tremor reduction. The nucleus ventralis intermedius (Vim) is the current main target side for ET in DBS. However, the dentatorubrothalamic tract (DRTT) is considered the relevant structure to stimulate.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Medical complications severely impair recovery of neurosurgical patients after craniotomy. The purpose of this study was to identify patients at risk of peri- and postoperative medical complications. Therefore, we present a large population of patients with different medical complications after elective craniotomy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFActa Neurochir (Wien)
March 2015
Background: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) was reported to reduce symptoms in psychiatric disorders. The aim of our study was to find standardised parameters for diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) based fibre tracking to reliably visualise the MFB.
Methods: Twenty-two cerebral hemispheres in 11 patients were investigated.
Objective: The aim of our study was to evaluate the influence of the stimulation site relative to the dentato-rubro-thalamic tract (DRTT) on the alleviation of tremor in deep brain stimulation.
Methods: Ten DRTTs in five patients were investigated using preoperative diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Regions of interest for fiber tracking were located in the cerebellar dentate nucleus, the superior cerebellar peduncle and the contralateral red nucleus.
Background: In essential tremor (ET), the main target for deep brain stimulation (DBS) is the thalamic ventralis intermedius nucleus (Vim). This target cannot be identified on conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Therefore, targeting depends on probabilistic coordinates derived from stereotactic atlases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) as well as the interleukin (IL)-7/IL-7 receptor (IL-7R) system play a role in the pathogenesis of arthritis. However, the target cells and mechanisms involved are not fully resolved. The goal of this study was to determine if B cells are influenced by IL-7 and to investigate the possible interplay between the SNS and the IL-7/IL-7R system on B cells in arthritis.
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